The Royals’ bullpen was atrocious in 2026. Carlos Estévez missed virtually the entire season, Lucas Erceg worked through issues all year, and Matt Strahm was completely ineffective once he suffered a knee injury midseason. The Royals had a 6.65 ERA in the ninth inning, by far the worst mark in baseball. They cycled through 32 relievers in all, and the bullpen finished with a 5.07 ERA, second-worst in baseball, with 26 blown saves.
Picollo indicated that the bullpen would be a focus this offseason,
although he cautioned that didn’t mean they would necessarily be aggressive in spending in that area. Past free agent signings that have backfired could inhibit the team from pursuing top dollar pitchers. But the team badly needs depth and could look for bargains in the market that can upgrade their pen. Here is what this year’s free agent reliever market looks like.
Top tier relievers
David Bednar is one of the most established closers available this offseason, a two-time All-Star with 146 career saves. He bounced back from a difficult 2024 campaign and an early demotion in 2025 to have a solid 2.47 ERA this year with 9.9 strikeouts-per-nine innings. The Yankees offered him a Qualifying Offer, but the 32-year-old should command a lucrative multi-year deal.
Adrián Morejón is arguably the top reliever available due to an explosive 2026 season and his age. The 27-year-old fireballing lefty struck out 30.4 percent of all hitters he faced, posting a 2.83 ERA in 83 innings. He has never handled traditional closing duties on a regular basis, but over the last three years he has been the third-most valuable reliever in baseball by fWAR. He is likely looking at a three- to five-year deal worth at least $16 million per year, with some even speculating he could get up to $100 million.
Proven Closers
José Alvarado has one of fastest heaters in the game, but suffered a poor season with a 5.86 ERA coming off the heels of an 80-game suspension for PEDs. He still missed a lot of bats this year, his FIP was much better than his ERA, and he is just 31 years old, so he might be a good bounce-back candidate.
Raisel Iglesias has had 29+ saves in each of the last four years, and he hasn’t posted an ERA higher than 3.21 since 2019. He is about as consistent as they come, but he will turn 37 in January. He is probably looking at a one- or two-year deal and some feel he is likely to return to the Braves.
Kenley Jansen has 498 career saves, third-most all-time. He posted a solid 3.20 ERA in 45 innings last year, but with a 4.46 FIP and a spike in his walk rate. His cutter is still a very effective pitch, but he is now 39 years old and in the twilight of his career.
Can miss bats
Bryan Abreu had three 100+ strikeout seasons as a reliever and his 33.4 percent strikeout rate since 2022 is 13th-highest among relievers. But his walk rate increased significantly this year, and he posted a career-worst 3.78 ERA and 4.62 FIP. Most of that was due to poor April, and he had a 2.19 ERA after that month. He doesn’t turn 30 until April, so the right-hander should be a pretty coveted arm.
Brock Burke led the AL with 77 appearances, posting a 2.63 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. Lefties hit just .195 against him, but he struck out a fair number of right-handers too, although his walk rate was quite high.
Kevin Ginkel has struck out 9.8 hitters per-nine-innings over the last four seasons with the Diamondbacks. He had a rough 2025 season, but bounced back a bit this year with a 4.12 ERA that would have been lower had it not been for a pair of four-run outings in August. His 3.50 FIP and solid strikeout-to-walk ratio will keep the 32-year-old in demand despite a less-than-stellar ERA.
Gregory Soto is a two-time All-Star reliever who struck out 10.6 hitters per-nine innings with the Pirates, posting a 3.63 ERA. The 31-year-old lefty had a 43.6 percent groundball rate and was equally effective against lefties and righties.
Alex Vesia has been one of the best relievers in the league, with the tenth-lowest ERA of all relievers over the last three seasons. Lefties hit just .138 against him this year, but he’s effective against right-handers as well. Vesia could earn a two- or even three-year deal worth around $10-12 million per year.
Others: Mark Leiter Jr., Ryne Stanek
Control artists
Andrew Kittredge has the sixth-lowest walk rate among relievers over the past two seasons, with just 19 unintentional walks over that time. He posted a career-high strikeout rate of 10.9 per-nine-innings in 2025, but that plummeted to 7.5 this year. The right-hander will be 37 by the time the season starts.
A.J. Minter has a 4.3 percent walk rate, sixth-lowest among pitchers with at least 40 innings. The lefty had a 2.56 ERA in 48 games last year, and doesn’t have much of a platoon split.
Steven Okert has a 2.50 ERA over the last two seasons with one of the best strikeout-to-walk ratios over that time. Lefties hit .186/.244/.301 against the 35-year-old, but he was nearly equally effective against righties.
Groundball pitchers
Jason Adam has already had two separate stints with the Royals, but it wasn’t until he left KC that he became an All-Star reliever. He missed nearly three months with a shoulder strain, returning for two games at the end of the season. The Kansas City native posted a 2.62 ERA, although his strikeout rate plummeted.
Paul Blackburn is a former All-Star starter but became a journeyman before joining the Yankees. He was one of the most trusted relievers for Aaron Boone this year, and he finished fourth in baseball with the most multi-inning relief appearances. In 85 innings, the 32-year-old right-hander posted a 1.59 ERA, third-lowest among all relievers.
Jonathan Loáisiga had a 56.4 percent groundball rate, 11th-highest in the league. He also poured in strikes with a 5.0 percent walk rate. The 32-year-old posted a 2.42 ERA and 2.88 FIP for Arizona despite a low strikeout rate.
Sean Newcomb was bouncing around the league before he figured something out in 2025 and used his curve to become a very effective reliever. He had the second-most multi-inning relief appearances in baseball, pitching in 90.1 innings with a 3.09 ERA and a 44 percent groundball rate.
JoJo Romero was a late inning option for the Cardinals before they traded him to Milwaukee, where he earned a ring. The lefty is equally good against righties and lefties, and the 30-year-old has been very dependable over the last three seasons.
Antonio Senzatela spent most of his career as a starting pitcher in Colorado, but moved to the pen where he became a solid reliever for the Rockies. He was less impressive after being traded to Milwaukee, and he doesn’t have a record of success, so the 31-year-old could be a bit of a risk.
Ryan Thompson is a sidearmer that can bring the “different look” J.J. Picollo has advocating having in the pen. His ERA spiked to 4.43 this year and his strikeout rate fell to 6.4 per-nine-innings, but his FIP was a solid 3.81 and he had a 50.7 percent groundball rate.
Others: Tyler Alexander, Shawn Armstrong, Brent Suter
Old friends
Taylor Clarke left the Royals to have a solid season in Arizona with a 2.96 ERA in 71 games. He doesn’t strike out many hitters, but he had a very low walk rate and a 45 percent groundball rate.
Jakob Junis has been a fairly effective reliever since joining the Royals, although he has battled some injuries. He made 53 appearances for the Rangers last year with a 3.64 ERA, but with one of the lowest strikeout rates.
John Schreiber was terrific after joining the Yankees late in the year, lowering his ERA to 3.28 in 60.1 innings for the year. He also had a very low strikeout rate, and his walk rate spiked up last year.
Others: Carlos Estévez, Hunter Harvey, Tim Hill, Matt Strahm, Ryan Yarbrough
Free agents from Asia
Darwinzon Hernández pitched in parts of four MLB seasons with Boston before pitching three seasons in Japan. He had a 1.41 ERA in 44.2 innings last year with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. The 29-year-old lefty threw in the mid-90s, but had major command issues earlier in his career, although his walk rates in Japan were much better.
Andrés Machado came up in the Royals organization and pitched in two games for them in 2017 before pitching for the Washington Nationals. He spent the last three years pitching in Japan for the Orix Blue Wave, posting a 1.35 ERA in 53.1 innings last year with just seven walks. He also pitched well in the World Baseball Classic for Team Venezuela and could be eyeing a return to MLB.
Kaima Taira is a squat 5’8” pitcher nicknamed “Fire Hydrant” who had a 1.36 ERA in 146 innings last year for the Saitama Seibu Lions. He throws in the high-90s and can hit triple digits. Some teams may see him as a starter, but he’s likely to have more success out of the pen. He will go through the posting system and must be signed by December 1.
Others: Jyun-Yue Tseng, Tai-In Won
Lefty specialists
Sam Moll had an underwhelming 4.79 ERA mostly due to a poor finish. He held lefties to a line of .217/.311/.296 and finished with a 51.6 percent groundball rate.
Brooks Raley was fantastic with the Mets this year, although he was less effective after being traded to the Phillies. The 38-year-old made 61 appearances with a 3.25 ERA overall, and lefties hit .259/.309/.376 against him.
Others: Andrew Chafin, Danny Coulombe, Hoby Milner, Taylor Rogers, Caleb Thielbar
Other middle relievers
Shawn Armstrong has posted strong strikeout rates the last few years, but his walk numbers skyrocketed this year with the Guardians. After a 3.21 ERA in 71 games in 2025, he posted a disappointing 4.58 ERA this year.
Pierce Johnson is a former Missouri State right-hander who had a nice 2025 season with the Braves, but regressed this year with a 4.62 ERA in 56 games. He gets whiffs with his curve, but his strikeout numbers fell significantly.
Tyler Kinley also saw his strikeout numbers fall, but his ERA held steady at 3.45, although with a 5.21 FIP. He has trouble with walks at times and turns 36 in January.
Others: Enyel De Los Santos, Dennis Santana
Injury risks
Jalen Beeks has a 3.78 ERA in 83.1 innings over the last two years with Arizona and Texas, but missed the last three months of the year following flexor tendon surgery. The 33-year-old lefty should be ready for spring training.
Pete Fairbanks is a former Mizzou pitcher with 94 saves over the past four seasons. He was an effective reliever for the Rays for many years, but they non-tendered him after the 2025 season and he was awful this year for the Marlins. Fairbanks deals with Raynaud’s phenomenon, which can cause finger numbness in cold weather. He underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and likely won’t be ready for the start of next season.
Evan Phillips missed most of the first half of last year following Tommy John surgery, but returned late in the year to make 31 appearances for the Dodgers, even making their postseason roster. He had a 3.46 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 26 innings with a 97 mph fastball and a sweeper that generates a 34 percent whiff rate.
A.J. Puk is a 6’7” lanky lefty with a 96 mph fastball, who is coming off Tommy John surgery. He had a 3.15 ERA in 62 games, with 88 strikeouts in 71.1 innings, but has pitched in just eight games since then. He was supposed to return last summer, but had some setbacks and only pitched in a few minor league games.
Others: Yimi García, Brusdar Graterol, Joe Jiménez, José Leclerc, Robert Stephenson
